NHL 2024-25 Power Rankings: Week 16

Sound the alarms, there’s been a doozy of a trade this week in the NHL! In one of the biggest moves I’ve seen in recent years, the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Chicago Blackhawks pulled off a true blockbuster three-way trade. In this deal, the Hurricanes acquired Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall, the Avalanche acquired Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick, and the Blackhawks acquired a 2025 third-round pick while retaining 50 percent of Rantanen’s salary.

While there were some rumors that the Avalanche and Rantanen had hit an impasse in their contract negotiations, I still don’t think anyone was expecting Colorado to move on from their leading goalscorer, especially while they were in the midst of another Stanley Cup push. For Carolina, this trade is a big risk, as they moved on from their top scorer in Necas for a potential short-term rental, unless they can work out an extension. And for Chicago, well you get back a pick while clearing out Hall’s contact so this was a simple win for them.

Honestly, I still can’t believe this trade happened, especially midseason. In many ways, Rantanen is the most underrated player in the NHL, as everyone knows he is great, but Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar tend to take up the conversation when it comes to discussions about that team. Necas is a young star on a great contract that you rarely see dealt.

Overall, I love this move, as it shows a rare urgency in the NHL. So the question becomes, will this be enough to shake up Week 16 of THW’s Power Rankings?

32-22: Predators Finally Reaching Their Potential

32. San Jose Sharks (Previously: 31)

31. Chicago Blackhawks (Previously: 32)

30. Buffalo Sabres (Previously: 30)

29. Pittsburgh Penguins (Previously: 27)

28. Anaheim Ducks (Previously: 28)

27. Seattle Kraken (Previously: 29)

26. Vancouver Canucks (Previously: 23)

25. Utah Hockey Club (Previously: 25)

24. Philadelphia Flyers (Previously: 22)

23. Nashville Predators (Previously: 26)

22. New York Islanders (Previously: 24)

It may have taken until 2025, but the Predators are finally playing like the team many across the NHL world expected them to be. Since the calendar flipped, the team has gone 7-3-0 on the back of their scoring depth, as they posted 19 goals in three games leading up to a bad loss against the Ducks Saturday. However, I doubt they will be able to make another midseason run to the playoffs like last season, since U2 is no longer playing at the Sphere and they are 12 points out of the final wildcard spot.

Another team that’s been hot after a slow start to the season are the Islanders, who have gone 7-3-0 and won their last four games on the back of a shutdown defense and goaltending that’s given up five goals in those four games. Unlike Nashville, however, New York has games in hand and a manageable pathway forward to the playoffs if they stay hot (even if it is unlikely), so they could still find themselves in the buyer’s category of the trade deadline if they keep up this stout play.

21-12: Blues Trending Out of Contention

21. St. Louis Blues (Previously: 19)

20. Tampa Bay Lightning (Previously: 13)

19. Ottawa Senators (Previously: 18)

18. Detroit Red Wings (Previously: 17)

17. Boston Bruins (Previously: 20)

16. Montreal Canadiens (Previously: 15)

15. New York Rangers (Previously: 21)

14. Calgary Flames (Previously: 16)

13. Columbus Blue Jackets (Previously: 14)

12. New Jersey Devils (Previously: 12)

Oftentimes, when a team replaces their head coach midseason, they get a short-term bump in production where they go on a bit of a winning streak before balancing out to the level of play that caused the firing in the first place. Sometimes these teams can keep up their winning ways, but rarely can they pull off a full turnaround to the postseason.

After the Bruins fired Jim Montgomery back in November, he wasn’t out of a job for long as the Blues signed him to a five-year contract days later to take over behind their bench. Following this change St. Louis went on a bit of a run and looked like a real playoff threat, but in recent weeks this shine has been wearing off. Now they find themselves outside the playoff bubble again, and they just can’t find consistent success that makes me believe they will get back into the hunt again barring a change somewhere in their lineup.

In general, the middle of the Rankings are getting crowded again. The Rangers were on a 10-game point streak that ended Sunday this week, the Lightning went a miserable 1-3-0 in four games played while giving up their games in hand to their opponents, the Blue Jackets continue to be one of the hottest teams in the league somehow, and the Flames continue to do just enough to stay in the hunt with their recent three-game winning streak.

Overall the middle of the Rankings might be the most fun section of the article on the ice, as they are playing close games that matter every week.

11-1: Blockbuster Trades Doesn’t Guarantee Wins

11. Colorado Avalanche (Previously: 3)

10. Los Angeles Kings (Previously: 10)

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (Previously: 9)

8. Minnesota Wild (Previously: 7)

7. Vegas Golden Knights (Previously: 6)

6. Carolina Hurricanes (Previously: 11)

5. Florida Panthers (Previously: 8)

4. Winnipeg Jets (Previously: 4)

3. Dallas Stars (Previously: 5)

2. Edmonton Oilers (Previously: 2)

1. Washington Capitals (Previously: 1)

Just because you make the biggest move of the year, that doesn’t mean you will see immediate success. Following their blockbuster trade on Friday, the Hurricanes and Avalanche proceeded to lose their next game on Saturday night. So, this is a reminded that big moves take time to come to fruition, as new players have to find needed chemistry with their teammates. However, the reason why you make this kind of move in January is to give them the needed time to work out the kinks before the postseason.

For the most part the teams at the top of the Rankings are doing what we expect this time of the year. They are keeping their heads above water without giving away too much energy to maintain their standings. However, the Wild are really seeing their hot start to the season evaporate, as they have fallen to third place in the Central Division, and if not for the Avalanche hitting a bit of a speed bump in recent games, they easily could have been pushed to the Wild Card. I still believe they are a great team when healthy, but they still have to get back to their winning ways again.

Big Changes Starting for the NHL

Well, we are no longer waiting for the big trades to start across the NHL. While everyone was expecting things to kick off a bit early this year thanks to the schedule, but it’s still good to see blockbuster moves actually happening.

Related: Grading Hurricanes’ Blockbuster Trade for Mikko Rantanen & Taylor Hall

However, there are many big storylines left to be unraveled across the NHL. I think this will be the one massive trade before the Four Nations Face-Off, but I’ve been surprised before by general managers who are trying to save their struggling seasons. So, we will see if move changes take place in the coming weeks.